Meet the Mexican teacher who won awards from Purdue University

Since he was a child, José Alfredo Ocegueda Barraza, who holds a degree in Mechatronics Engineering (IMT) from Tec Guadalajara, has been fascinated by electronics, computers, and video games. “I always wanted to answer these questions: How do those devices work? Why does this happen when I press this button? Why does this light come on?” he said.

This sparked his curiosity and his interest in all aspects of engineering. Some friends of his sister, who is also a Tec graduate, told him about mechatronics and helped him decide on that degree. 

José Alfredo is from the December 2017 graduating class. From his training at Techasta to his current position as a doctoral student and teacher at Purdue University’s Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, José Alfredo has shown that a passion for sharing knowledge opens unexpected paths. 

His commitment to teaching, educational innovation, and student success has earned him two of Purdue’s highest honors for excellence in teaching, making him a leader in terms of global impact in his field and education.

As a doctoral student at Purdue University’s Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering, he became the first Dean’s Teaching Fellow from the College of Engineering to receive the OGSPS Excellence in Teaching Award, Purdue’s highest honor for teaching assistants.

Redefining goals

When he was about to complete his degree, a Tec academic put him in touch with a couple of graduate programs, as he was considering his next professional steps. 

However, it was in the ninth semester that the opportunity arose: a professor from Purdue University and another Tec graduate visited the Guadalajara campus to give lectures. José Alfredo spoke to them about the process of gaining admission to that university.

That networking opportunity was critical and became the key factor that sparked his interest in pursuing a graduate degree there. After graduating, he began working in Guadalajara for Continental, testing software for car dashboards.

He was then able to go to Purdue, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. “I always intended to pursue a PhD. In fact, I enrolled in materials engineering.”

However, various situations came up, and he said that “the initial project wasn’t a good match for me.”

“I wanted to focus more on manufacturing and robotics, which was what motivated me the most.”

Then the pandemic occurred, and other issues led him to complete a master’s degree in the same field instead of a PhD. He also took a break for a semester to determine what he was going to do.

In the meantime, he decided to pursue a diploma in data analysis at the Tec. Now with more contacts at Purdue, he contacted another professor and started a different program, redefining his goal: industrial engineering.

“I wanted to focus more on manufacturing and robotics, which was what motivated me the most and is more aligned with my IMT training,” he recalled.

He completed his second master’s degree in industrial engineering and is now in his third year as a doctoral student in the same field, while also beginning his career as a professor at the same university.

A key decision

José Alfredo was able to obtain funding by becoming a Teaching Assistant (TA). He assisted professors in their classes, graded papers, and provided support in any way he could, among other tasks.

That’s what he did during the first year of his PhD. The university then published a call through the College of Engineering for students interested in teaching.

It was a process that required applying, obtaining letters of recommendation, and providing evidence. He received one of only four scholarships for that initiative. That could be considered another award!

By the second term of the scholarship, he was already entirely in charge of the class. Then, he was assigned the subject Introduction to Manufacturing Processes for 240 mechanical, industrial, and aerospace engineering students.

As a result of this and the assessment received from the class, he received two other awards:

1.  The Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching (named after the family that funds this award) from the College of Engineering.

2. Even more importantly, through the university’s Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars, the OGSPS Excellence in Teaching Award.

From the Tec to Purdue: A path of excellence

José Alfredo is the second industrial engineer to win this award. The other is the current deputy director of the program. “It’s a very prestigious award here at the university, and I’m happy with the work that was done,” he said.

“I’m also happy to see that my students appreciated all the effort that went into it,” he said.

Since his years at the Tec, Alfredo Ocegueda has been recognized for his passion for learning and sharing knowledge. 

He believes that his achievement was built on a solid academic foundation, the support of mentors such as Patrick Brunese and Professor Ramsés Martínez, and his vocation for teaching. 

“It’s a process with many moving parts. Though the support from the department and professors helped me put it all together,” he said.
 

“I’m glad to see that my students appreciated all the effort that went into it.”

A vocation for teaching with empathy and purpose

Being a student and teacher at the same time has given Alfredo a unique perspective, allowing him to create courses based on the real needs of his students and businesses.

From redesigning visual materials to including labs with real-world applications and digital tools, his goal has been clear: to make learning practical, accessible, and meaningful.

“I want students to learn something they can apply, not just definitions or formulas,” he explained. He will now receive funding for a research stay for his academic work in flexible electronics and soft robotics.

“I will be 100% focused on continuing my research to conduct experiments, connect my data, and write my thesis, so that I can graduate with my PhD in a year and a half,” he said.

He has always enjoyed playing soccer as a hobby. “Here in the United States, it’s not as common as in Mexico, but I’ve got a group of friends who get together a couple of times a week to play.” A friend has also got him into golf.

From the classroom to industry

Consequently, the quality of his teaching was recognized with the OGSPS Excellence in Teaching Award and also with the Estus H. and Vashti L. Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching, based solely on student feedback. 

Both awards are proof of the impact he has had in the classroom and reaffirm that a vocation for teaching can lead to excellence when accompanied by preparation, dedication, and passion for learning.

Although his career path originally pointed toward industry, teaching has opened up new possibilities for him. Now, during his summer internship at Intel, Alfredo clearly sees that teaching also has a place in the corporate world.

“I would like to work in industry and gain a little more professional experience, but I always intend to return to academia eventually,” said José Alfredo.

Thanks to integrated learning at the Tec and recognition from one of the world’s most prestigious universities, Tec graduate Alfredo Ocegueda is prepared to continue his work and inspire others wherever he may be, whether in the classrooms of Purdue or leading industrial innovation projects.

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